I plan to make an AAR of a game that I am currently playing with Spain from a strictly military point of view, this means that the economic aspect will be secondary and the objective will not be tu turn my country into a superpower, but, instead, just win the Great War.

I will try to make short chapters for this AAR, showing things like the composition of the armies, the campaigns and military operations that I will be carrying out to show the potential of Spain, nation that in my opinion is really fun to play despite being a "second class power."

Spain has a relatively safe geopolitical position and the opportunity to choose the theater of operations in which wish to act.

My English is not my native language, so I ask for patience for any errors that might arise.

Spain, the former world power that colonized America and built a big Empire is now only a shadow of itself. After the American wars of independence, there was a long period of decadence that culimnate with the collapse of the Empire at the hands of the United States of America with the Spanish-American war of 1898 where the last spanish colonial possessions were lost. By this time the other European Powers controlled practically the whole world, there was not much left to be distributed in Africa, nor in the Pacific or Asia, however there was the rickety Ottoman Empire, wich seemed as an easy prey for the Great Powers as was demostrated by the Italo-Ottoman war of 1911 and the Balkan wars.

With Europe divided into alliance blocs, Spain could choose between maintaining neutrality or tilting the balance of one alliance to another. Politicians and the military saw little incentive to enter into negotiations with the Central Powers, since that could provoke a potential conflict with France which would put at risk the Motherland, nevertheless, an alliance with the Entente Cordiale could represente some advantages, first, because a land invasion by the enemy was implausible and, at the same time, winning the fight against Italy in the Mediterranean with the help of France could be possible.

The Spanish Kingdom current objective is to reaffirm his position as an important European Power again and that could be only possible taking a more aggressive diplomatic position in Europe in a relatively safe way, so, Spain turns edgeways the Entente Cordiale signing a secret military alliance with France. The terms of the agreement included that in case of war against the central powers, Spain could ask for the enemy colonies as a compensation, like Lybia in Africa or the German Empire possessions in Asia and the Pacific.

The last war against the United States of America had opened the eyes of the Spanish military leaders, it was very important to acquire modern material and reform the Ejército Real (Royal Army) and the Armada Real (Royal Navy).

One of the main lessons was the use of artillery on the battlefield, the queen of all weapons in these modern times. Several military missions were sent to Great Britain, France and Russia to analyze different models to obtain a license for their domestic production. After many demonstrations, analysis and discussions, it was decided to adopt a 76mm model 1902 infantry support cannon and a 152mm model 1910 siege artillery from the Imperial Russian Army.

152mm Siege Artillery.

76mm Cannon.

The Ejército Real opted for the formation of independent units that could operate by themself, having all the elements at their disposal to face any situation, therefore, the "division model" was adopted, this "model" consisted in 5 battalions of infantry supported by an artillery regiment of 76mm cannons and a cavalry regiment for reconnaissance. 2 divisions would form an army corps to which would be assigned a regiment of 152mm siege artillery and 2 battalions of engineers. An Army would be conformed by 2 Army Corps.

The Armada Real was not at its best, although it had a considerable number of coastal ships and torpedo boats, it lacked of a modern combat fleet. The actual fleet that could operate overseas consisted of 8 capital ships and 5 escort ships, all of which were outdated except for one Battleship, the Santísima Trinidad (Holy Trinity), which could be considered a modern, efficient and powerful Capital Ship, without a doubt it was the pride of Navy.

The Armada Real surface fleet.

The plans of reform for the Armada Real implied the production of modern vessels. Although there was national technology for the construction of the modern Battleships of the "Spain Class", it was necessary to look for a foreign design to begin the production of escort ships. The perfect model was found in Great Britain and it was chosen for being considered the best of its kind, the gunboats of "Admiral Lynch Class" would be produced under license in the Spanish Kingdom Shipyards.

The plans of modernization and expansion of the Armada Real consisted in the creation of 2 combat fleets, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, which would be composed of 3 capital ships of the "Spain Class" and 4 escort ships of the "Admiral Lynch Class."

The Santisima Trinidad Battleship. The pride of the Armada Real.

The "Admiral Lynch Class" Gunboats. The future escort ships of the Armada Real.

June 28, 1914, the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Archduke Franz Ferdinand is murdered in the capital of Bosnia, Sarajevo. A group of radicals calling themselves the black hand committed the murder. This event strains the deteriorated relations between the Habsburg Empire and the Kingdom of Serbia, and this regional conflict could turn into a greater one due to the delicated system of alliances in Europe.

The blood split in Sarajevo would cause a blood bath.

On July 23 of that same year the Austro-Hungarian Empire gave the Kingdom of Serbia an ultimatum where it made ten unacceptable demands in order to justify a war. The Kingdom of Serbia sent a telegram to the Tsar of Russia asking for help. The Russian Empire orders the mobilization of its troops in the districts of the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Odessa, Kiev, Kazan and Moscow requesting other regions to prepare for an imminent general mobilization.

The Russian Empire will not take one step back.

On July 28 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. On July 30 the Russian Empire initiated the general mobilization against the German Empire and in response, the Kaiser Wilhelm II demanded to the Tsar Nicholas II the ending of the general mobilization. The Tsar refused and the German Empire mobilized and declared War to Russia, meanwhile, The Empire of Austria-Hungary orders the general mobilization the 4 of August.

The conflict escalates.

The German Empire launched a modified version of the Schlieffen Plan, deploying 60% of the troops in the west and 40% on the eastern front, which was the maximum that the Prussian railway system could withstand. The French Republic, for its part, decreed the mobilization of its reservists, to which Germany responded by mobilizing its own and launching its invasion plan. Germany invades Luxembourg on August 2 and on day 3 declares war on France. On August 4, Belgium's refusal to allow the German troops to cross provoked another invasion, causing the United Kingdom to declare war on the German Empire on the same day, following an ultimatum to maintain Belgium's neutrality.

The Powder Keg Explodes.

On October 29, the Ottoman Empire declared war on the members of the Entente Cordiale under pressure from Germany and Austria-Hungary.

The conflict reaches extraordinary dimensions.

On the other hand, France pressed Spain to declare war on the Central Powers. On October 30 The Kingdom of Spain Mobilizes and Declared War.

CHAPTER III: THE THEATER OF OPERATIONS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE SPANISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN FRANCE.

The European Powers wanted the weakening of the Ottoman Empire, including small countries like the Kingdom of Bulgaria wich demanded the rectification of the Turkish-Bulgarian border in Thrace in their favor. On the other hand, the alliance of the Ottoman Empire with the Central Powers raised plans to distribute their territories among the members of the Entente Cordiale. After several meetings between the military and diplomats of the Entente, it was agreed that the Kingdom of Spain would focus its military efforts against the Ottoman Empire and, as a compensation, would receive the Levantine coast, Palestine, Cilicia, the Valiats of Adana and Mosul, as well as Mesopotamia, United Kingdom would receive Hiyaz while Russia would get Armenia, Kurdistan, the straits of the black sea and the city of Istanbul, that would be renamed Constantinople.

The Spanish High Command designed a general strategy for the Theater of Operations of the Middle East. It was determined that the Ottoman Empire would be defeated in four military campaigns: 1. The Levantine Campaign.2. The Arabian Campaign.3. The Mesopotamian Campaign4. The Anatolian Campaign.

This mission would be assigned to the Ejército Real of the Middle East composed of 45,000 men commanded by the General Manuel Fernández Silvestre, who would carry out the conquest of the Levantine Coast in order to capture the main Ottoman ports in the Mediterranean and then establish a strong position in the region that would enable the continuous and safe shipment of reinforcements and thus continue with the rest of the campaigns.

For its part, an Expeditionary Force of 20,000 men under the command of General Miguel Primo de Rivera would be sent to the Theater of Operations of the West in order to support the French Army in its fight against the German Empire.

Left: General Miguel Primo de Rivera. Right: The Expeditionary Force.

In turn, the Armada Real was sent to the Mediterranean in order to obtain the control of the sea and ensure the safe transport of ground troops to Egypt, where the Army would march to the Levantine and begin the first Campaign.

The Armada Real leaving the ports with the Santisima Trinidad leading the formation.

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